Stewart Mott and Tim Russert

Posted by Ralph Nader
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 08:30:00 PM

A philanthropist for all seasons, Stewart R. Mott was about the most versatile, imaginative philanthropist of his time. He threw himself into projects and was a pioneer in many fields well before the large foundations. Citizen oversight of the vast wasteful military budget is a case in point.

Our country and world are lessened with his passing, but his planned legacies will live on. Sympathies are extended to his family.

Tim Russert, through his verve, directness and human touch became the symbol of the Sunday interview show. A strong interrogator of the many slippery guests who appeared on his show, Tim combined searching questions with a smile. He let the guests make their points instead of cutting them off but kept Meet the Press moving at the same time. In my recent conversation with him, he said he believed “in intellectual tension.”